Olives: storms damage crop in Spain
February 9, 2026 at 4:20 PM ,
Der AUDITOR
Crop losses in Andalusia
According to Spanish media reports, severe storms and persistent rainfall in the Andalusia region have caused considerable damage to agriculture in recent weeks. In parts of the region, the rainfall has delayed the harvest, according to a spokesperson for the Coordinadora de Organizaciones Agrarias (COAG), as the olive groves were inaccessible or at least difficult to access due to the soggy ground. Reports of losses vary depending on the province. Overall, around a third of the already low estimated olive crop is still outstanding – and now a further 30-40% of this last third is said to have been damaged. In the province of Jaén alone, losses are estimated at 50,000 mt, which in terms of production alone could mean economic damage of around EUR 200 million, not even taking into account damage to infrastructure, watercourses and acreage. Meanwhile, the local association of young farmers (ASAJA) reports that mountain olives have been particularly affected in the north-east of the region, where 20% of the crop still needs to be brought in.
EU exports are declining
Spain is traditionally the largest EU exporter of table olives and olive oil. In the 2024/2025 season, the country exported 238,964 mt of table olives* to third countries, accounting for around 60% of total EU exports of 396,692 mt worth EUR 1.218 million. This meant that seasonal exports were slightly above last year's level, while in the three years prior to that (2020-2022), between 400,000 and 450,000 mt of table olives were shipped from EU countries to third countries.
In the current 2025/26 season (01/10/2025-01/02/2026), 148,559 mt of table olives (-11.3% compared to the previous year) worth EUR 436.265 million (-14.5% compared to the previous year) have been exported to third countries so far. The average export price of EUR 2.94/kg is around 3.6% below the previous year's price of EUR 3.05/kg. Spain's overseas shipments to date amount to 98,884 mt (-7.2% compared to the previous year), which corresponds to a 67% share of total exports. Shipments from Greece and Portugal have declined significantly, while countries such as Italy and Belgium have increased their exports noticeably. Around 30.5% of EU exports went to the USA (45,258 mt), with other major buyers being Russia (15,944 mt), the UK (14,571 mt) and Saudi Arabia (10,791 mt).
|
EU olive exports, in mt |
|||
|
Country |
2024/25 |
2025/26 |
Diff. |
|
Spain |
106,590 |
98,884 |
-7.2% |
|
Greece |
38,249 |
27,867 |
-27.1% |
|
Italy |
9,435 |
9,935 |
5.3% |
|
Portugal |
7,119 |
5,825 |
-18.2% |
|
Lithuania |
1,276 |
1,263 |
-1.0% |
|
Belgium |
654 |
1,036 |
58.4% |
|
Netherlands |
906 |
1,003 |
10.7% |
|
France |
809 |
900 |
11.2% |
|
Poland |
1,192 |
570 |
-52.2% |
|
Others |
1,181 |
1,276 |
8.0% |
|
Total |
167,411 |
148,559 |
-11.3% |
|
DG AGRI TAXUD Customs Surveillance System, 01/10-01/02 *07099210+20019065+20057000 Olives, fresh or chilled, prepared or preserved |
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